Controller

Swarm Aero

Los Angeles (CA)

On-site

USD 160,000 - 210,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful equity

Competitive base salary

Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

PTO and paid sick leave

Monthly wellness stipend

Daily catered lunch (office)

Paid parental leave

Direct impact on a national security-m

A world-class team

Job summary

Swarm Aero is hiring its first Controller to build the accounting function from the ground up, including the close process, controls, systems, and the playbook for scalable operations.

You will own the numbers for a company that designs, builds, and flies aircraft, with real cost accounting, inventory, and government contract compliance as manufacturing scales. You will report to leadership and partner with Operations and Program teams, starting lean and growing the team over time.

Qualifications

8+ years of progressive accounting with at least 2 years in a Controller role.
CPA strongly preferred.
Hardware, manufacturing, or aerospace and defense industry experience with real inventory and cost accounting exposure.
Experience at a smaller or earlier-stage operation with understanding practices, not just executing them.
ERP ownership experience; NetSuite implementation or administration is a strong plus.
Government contract accounting exposure: CLINs, cost-type and fixed-price contracts, FAR/DFARS, DCAA.

Responsibilities

Own the monthly close end to end and drive it faster and cleaner every quarter.
Own GAAP financials, the general ledger, and account reconciliations.
Build and run cost accounting for hardware manufacturing, including inventory, WIP, standard costs, and variance analysis across Oxnard and Arkansas operations.
Own our ERP and accounting systems, including implementation and administration.
Stand up government contract accounting: CLIN tracking, cost segregation, and compliance with FAR and DFARS expectations.
Build toward DCAA audit readiness, including timekeeping, indirect rate structures, and an approved accounting system.
Own AP, expense administration, and payroll operations.
Design internal controls that scale with headcount and contract volume.
Prepare for and manage the company’s first financial audits.
Support FP&A and leadership with accurate, timely actuals.

Skills

Accounting leadership

Controller experience

CPA

A&D manufacturing experience

NetSuite ERP

Govt contract accounting

Cost accounting / inventory

Tools

NetSuite

Job description

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30 novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

The Opportunity

We are hiring our first Controller. This is not a caretaker role. You will build the accounting function from the ground up: the close process, the controls, the systems, and the playbook that everything after you gets built on.

You will own the numbers for a company that designs, builds, and flies aircraft. That means real cost accounting, real inventory, and real government contract compliance. As we scale manufacturing and win larger programs, the infrastructure you put in place will determine how fast we can move.

You will report to company leadership and work directly with Operations, Supply Chain, and Program teams. You will have support, but you will not have a big team on day one. You will do the work and build the team behind you.

What You Will Do

Own the monthly close end to end and drive it faster and cleaner every quarter
Own GAAP financials, the general ledger, and account reconciliations
Build and run cost accounting for hardware manufacturing, including inventory, WIP, standard costs, and variance analysis across our Oxnard and Arkansas operations
Own our ERP and accounting systems, including implementation and administration
Stand up government contract accounting: CLIN tracking, cost segregation, and compliance with FAR and DFARS expectations
Build toward DCAA audit readiness, including timekeeping, indirect rate structures, and an approved accounting system
Own AP, expense administration, and payroll operations
Design internal controls that scale with headcount and contract volume
Prepare for and manage the company’s first financial audits
Support FP&A and leadership with accurate, timely actuals

What We Are Looking For

8 years of progressive accounting experience with at least 2 years as a Controller, Assistant Controller, or accounting leader
CPA strongly preferred
Hardware, manufacturing, or aerospace and defense industry experience, with real inventory and cost accounting exposure
Experience at a smaller or earlier-stage operation where you had to understand the reasoning behind practices, not just execute an established process
ERP ownership experience. NetSuite implementation or administration is a strong plus
Government contract accounting exposure is strongly preferred: CLINs, cost-type and fixed-price contracts, FAR/DFARS, DCAA
A builder’s mindset. You have written the playbook before, or you are ready to write your first one

Nice to Have